The former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nsima Ekere was yesterday arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for alleged diversion of funds to the tune of N47 billion through registered contractors of the agency.
The Commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwajaren, confirmed the arrest.
The former NDDC boss was the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Akwa Ibom in the 2019 elections. He also lost the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial primary election to Governor Emmanuel Udom in 2015.
Nsima, 56, was the agency’s Managing Director between 2017 and 2018.
Sources said that Ekere was detained after he surrendered himself at the Commission’s office in Lagos on Wednesday.
“Mr Ekere has been under investigation for years. He surrendered himself for arrest on Wednesday after realising that the Commission was closing in on him,” one of the sources who pleaded not to be named because they did not get authorisation to speak on the matter, said.
The source said the 56-year-old is being investigated over allegations of contract inflation and the award of fictitious contracts during his time in office.
Ekere, who allegedly committed the offences starting in 2017, according to sources, allegedly laundered funds from NDDC accounts through contractors to buy choice properties in Lagos.
